LAHORE: The Punjab government believes in gender equality and is consistently trying to build a society based on impartiality and equal treatment of both men and women.

Provincial Minister for Women Development Hameeda Waheeduddin said this at the launch ceremony of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women`s training of nikah registrars and local government officials at Town Hall on Tuesday.

The minister said that a nikahnama could potentiallyempower a woman and ensure equal rights for men and women alike. She said that both men and women should read the nikahnama in its entirety and understand the significance of rights given through it, including haq mehr and the right to delegated divorce and maintenance. She said the PCSW and the local government department were working together to build the capacity of officials, acknowledging dire need for capacity-building to ensure better results for women and girls forcibly married at a young age.

She said that the project empowered women through changing the mindset of leaders and influential people at the grassroots level. She emphasised the significance of women`s participation to boost the well-being of society.

PCSW Chairperson Fauzia Vigarstated that the commission would train 47,000 nikah registrars, union council secretaries and the chairmen on women`s rights, government initiatives to protect women`s rights, marriage registration and accurate filling of nikah nama.

She said the duty of a nikah registrar was crucial in protection of women`s rights because they could inform parties of their rights within marriage and ensure that they were included in the contract as per the wishes of the bride and the groom.

Complaints received through PCSW`s helpline (1043) depict the frequent incidence of early age marriages in Punjab which can be attributed to financial constraints, social pressure and stereotypical values, she added.

Lahore Mayor retired Col Mubasher Javed reiterated theimportance of this strategic partnership between the PCSW and the LG&RD Department due to which 2,371 nikah registrars and UC secretaries and chairmen were trained in audience of this initiative`s plan for upcoming trainings in Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib.

PCSW Project Manager Shahid Iqbal informed the audience of this initiative`s plan for upcoming training in Lahore and Kasure districts.

He apprised the audience that nikah registrars and local government officials from Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sargodha divisions will be trained in the third phase (February to March 2018) of the project.-APP